New Meaning to “One-Man Band”

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I always thought I wanted to be a television reporter. It all started when Amber Lee, an anchor for the Bay Area network KTVU, came to visit my elementary school in the early 1990’s, and explained the ins and outs of her job to us. It sounded like the perfect gig – combining writing with being on television – a glamorous lifestyle.

Fast-forward almost fifteen years, and that dream was still very much alive – I thought I was going to be the next Katie Couric (or San Francisco’s own Amber Lee) when I graduated high school. Sports reporter? Maybe. Weathergirl? Possibly. Public relations account executive? Unlikely. I traded sunny California for the harsh winters at Syracuse University (go Orange!) – based on the school’s strong broadcast journalism program.

At my first broadcast journalism class – my first foray into the world of mass media – my professor drilled into my mind that there is no such thing as being “just” a reporter anymore. A reporter is much more than that: a photographer, story-teller and editor. While chasing people down for an interview in 10 degree weather (with a negative wind chill of course), I learned this fact the hard way. For local stations I was writing, editing, panicking and begging.  While a lot has changed in my three years since graduating, including my profession, my professor was right about one thing: the idea of being “just” a reporter is dead.

After holding down multiple internships at various television stations throughout the country and graduating Syracuse, I landed as a newscast writer at San Francisco’s NBC affiliate, KNTV. Although the hours were less than pleasant (2:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. each day!), I learned that even my title as newscast writer was not 100% accurate. Aside from writing dozens of stories each morning, I would personally pick the video that would accompany each story, write headlines (I’m now the queen of alliteration) and write for KNTV’s up and coming interactive Website.

In just my 2.5 years since I’ve joined Text 100 and left the broadcast bunch behind (still the queen of alliteration!), the television industry has dramatically changed. Reporters at KNTV I still keep in touch with have active Twitter and Facebook accounts, detailing to the public stories they are covering and breaking news.  Friends working at various television stations across the country tell me that it is required that they use Twitter for their job – to get the word out on breaking news, and encourage viewers to tune into their station.

As social media tools continue to play an integral role in our lives, the tools will take on an added responsibility – and the broadcast industry needs to be ahead of that curve to keep viewers tuning in each night at 11:00 a.m. (or, at 5:00 a.m. if you are watching the shows I wrote for!).